Welcome back to Wide Open Wednesday. This weeks rambling discourse is on Tolerance...

It's been on my mind a lot this week. It is difficult to ignore the examples of intolerance we see and hear every day... it feels like we're bombarded by it in the media through reports of religious and political intolerance. This week I also read some fairly strong examples in blogs I visit semi regularly.

I realize it's a cliche to say I can't tolerate intolerance. Mutually exclusive terms and all that. It's a conundrum for me.

I remember my proud-to-be-non-traditional Grammy becoming more and more traditional in her views as she aged. And my dad has gone from a fairly tolerant attitude to a markedly rigid view of the world in what seems like a few short years. So much so, that I've made certain topics off limits for us. I feel like I need to be ever aware of the possibility of becoming less tolerant of people with differing views.

Yet I feel very strongly (another conundrum for a passive person such as myself) that we're becoming such a polarized society that taking a non position is viewed as taking a position against someone or something else. Politically, it seems to me that the extremes of both major parties cannot tolerate an ideology anywhere near the middle. Are you with us or against us?

And I'm almost scared to bring up religious intolerance even on my own blog. Although in my heart of hearts, I don't think religious views or differences should affect my online or real life friendships. It is a non issue to me.

All of which just leaves me wondering.... whatever happened to civil discourse? Compromise? Finding common ground? Acknowledging our differences and moving on? Whatever my dearly held beliefs, I assume yours are just as dear to you.

Enough rambling... time to go squeeze my chubbiness into my work clothes. Those thin mints are irresistable!